River Road Presbyterian Church is in the Presbytery of the James, part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Leadership of the local church consists of 18 Elders making up the Church Session and 12 Deacons who care for the Congregation as well as Trustees who oversee the financial operations of the church. The work of the church is carried out by designated Church Ministries: Christian Education, Congregational Care, Fellowship and Hospitality, Growth and Outreach, Leadership Development, Mission and Service, Personnel, Property, Stewardship and Finance, and Worship and Music.
Pastor / Head of Staff: ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON!
With grateful hearts and trust in God’s leading, River Road Presbyterian Church joyfully announces the call of our next Pastor and Head of Staff. Our new pastor will begin their ministry with us on November 1, 2026.
Stay tuned! We will post their name and bio here as soon as it is appropriate.
We give thanks for the prayerful dedication of our Pastor Nominating Committee and for the congregation’s faithful participation throughout the recent season of discernment. As we welcome a new Pastor and Head of Staff, we look forward to worshiping, learning, and serving together as disciples of Jesus Christ.
| EDUCATION
Ansley Higginbotham, Director of Christian Education
Ansley Higginbotham has over two decades of children, youth and family ministry experience at churches in Central Virginia. She most recently served as Director of Internal Operations at Woodberry Forest School, planning events, organizing transportation, training student leaders and facilitating Christian fellowship for 400 high school boys. Originally from the Richmond area, Ansley and her husband, Page, live on his family cattle farm in Orange with their two sons, Sammy and Franklin. She has a degree in Communications from Virginia Tech and a certificate of Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. She’s addicted to her Kindle, drinks far too much coffee, and rarely says no to a good meal, a fun trip, or a good hike.
Rev. Joe Torrence, Director of Youth Ministry
Leading youth ministries for the last 20 years, Joe also works at the Children's Museum of Richmond as the Community Engagement Manager. He enjoys most outside activities—especially golf—loves being with family, and is passionate about sharing the good news of Christ’s love and grace with students.
In his own words: “My favorite movies are Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, and Star Wars. My go-to music is Cold Play, Steel Wheels, and The Wood Brothers. I enjoy reading, and my current faves include Love Wins, Velvet Elvis, UnChristian, and Jesus For President. I have an incredible wife and three great kids. The most important thing about me is that I love Jesus and believe that God is making all things new. That is a message worth sharing. In Christ, we find hope, joy, love, and purpose on this journey we call life.”
| WORSHIP AND ARTS
Rich Thomas Copeland, Director of Worship and Arts
Rich’s life-calling is to equip and empower artists and musicians to use their creative talents to serve the Church. At RRPC, he is excited to develop artists, musicians, and creative leaders while building a welcoming, vibrant Music and Arts ministry that enhances worship, enriches our church community, and invites people of all ages to serve God through creative expression.
A Richmond native, Rich began performing and recording as a backing vocalist in Nashville while studying at Belmont University. He has collaborated with accomplished musicians on numerous studio and live recording projects.
After writing and recording music for a faith-based summer camp organization near Austin, Texas, Rich felt called to full-time ministry. He has since founded city-wide contemporary choirs in Miami, Florida and Melbourne, Australia, and has served congregations in Northern Virginia, Miami, Houston, Sydney and Melbourne.
Rich returned to Richmond in 2021 after five years living abroad. He enjoys writing new music, performing improv comedy, and hosting game nights and fire-pit gatherings with his husband, Jim, and their dog, Hamilton.
Grant Holcomb, Director of Traditional Music / Organist
Passionate for music ministry, Grant Holcomb is a Lexington, Kentucky native and holds the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance from the University of Kentucky, where he was an organ and harpsichord student of Dr. Schuyler Robinson.
Grant currently serves as Sub-Dean of the Richmond Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and has also served the Guild in regional and national capacities. In addition to Dr. Robinson, Grant has studied organ and choral conducting with Erich Balling, Lisa Hall, Michael Rintamaa, and Eric Wall.
Aside from music ministry, Grant finds joy in nature, cooking, and tinkering with his vintage Volkswagen.
Rita Smith, Accompanist / Principal Pianist
Rita has worked with a wide variety of choral groups and vocal performers, both as an accompanist and collaborative musician. Throughout most of her career, she has particularly enjoyed her work as a church musician, including 16 years as an accompanist at Second Baptist Church. She has been on the music staff at RRPC since 2021.
Over the years, she has also enjoyed an eclectic mix of career day-job opportunities, including a number of years at the Richmond Symphony executive offices, The Martin Agency, and over 15 years in the Marketing Department at Kings Dominion. (She will claim to be the initiator of the backwards racing train of the park’s Rebel Yell rollercoaster – though this cannot be confirmed).
Rita studied piano and church music at Bluefield University and Carson-Newman University. She carries a deep love and passion for her music, and is at her very happiest when she is “on the keys”. She especially enjoys the musical partnerships and friendships she shares with the directors, the singers and other musicians she works with. She loves the work, the challenges, and the opportunity to continue learning and honing her craft.
| OPERATIONS
Christiana Kennelly, Church Administrator
Christiana Kennelly brings more than two decades of administrative, operational, communications, and organizational experience to her role as Church Administrator at River Road Presbyterian Church. Her career has included leadership and support positions in nonprofit organizations, church administration, municipal government, the Virginia judicial system, higher education, and private education.
Prior to joining River Road, Christiana served as Practice Manager and Director for a nonprofit community organization in Charlottesville, where she worked closely with the Board of Directors and oversaw administrative, financial, human resources, fundraising, and operational functions. Her earlier experience includes administrative and human resources support for the Supreme Court of Virginia; service as Registrar with the City of Salem, Oregon, where she supported the Center 50+ and served as editor and publisher of its newsletter; and work at The Harley School in Rochester, New York, a highly regarded independent private college-preparatory school, where she served as Front Office and Facilities Coordinator and first point of contact.
Christiana also provided administrative and executive support within the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Rochester and previously served as Office Administrator for Rocky River Presbyterian Church in Concord, North Carolina. At River Road, she oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational life of the church, including office and facility operations, church communications, payroll and financial administration, human resources support, property and vendor coordination, stewardship support, calendar and building use, and liaison work across staff, ministries, and community partners.
Christiana studied administrative and office management, with additional focus in tourism and event management, and has been recognized through membership in both Alpha Beta Gamma National Business Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. She is also a Virginia Notary Public. Outside the office, Christiana enjoys hiking, trail running, biking, exploring new places, and spending time with family and friends. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the River Road community and considers it a privilege to support the life and ministry of the church.
Larry E. Coleman, Sexton
Larry Coleman is not only the longest tenured present member of our staff; he has worked for the church longer than anyone during its entire existence. In helping maintain the church as a suitable place for the Lord’s work to be done, Larry’s contributions are an extremely important and valuable part of the work and service of the church. He helps to maintain our buildings and grounds while also providing setup and take-down for the many events held at River Road Presbyterian. In his spare time, Larry enjoys spending time with family and gardening.
| EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Theresa Campbell, Executive Director of Early Learning Center
Theresa Campbell is a student-centered educational leader with more than 10 years of experience in teaching, curriculum design, and program direction. She is currently pursuing an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Virginia Tech. In addition, she holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that every child deserves an inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and academically rich learning environment. Theresa finds her greatest joy in her family – she is the proud mother of four children. Her personal passions—hiking, cooking, antiquing, painting, and furniture restoration—reflect her love of creativity, exploration, and balance, qualities she brings into her work as an educator and leader.
| Church Officers
Session
Moderator of Session - Senior Pastor
Clerk of Session - Lee Branch
Treasurer - Sharon Cherry
Assistant Treasurers - Cheryl Duff and Lisa Manchester
Sessional Ministries
Faith Formation Ministry
The Faith Formation Ministry provides opportunities for members of all ages to encounter and study the Bible, to consider the basic tenets of the Christian faith, to improve their understanding of God, and to participate in activities that reinforce the ministry of the church. The current chair of the Faith Formation Ministry is Lisa Boyd, with vice-chairs, Dana Moore and Lauren Yerkes.
Fellowship and Hospitality Ministry
The Fellowship and Hospitality Ministry is an integral part of our church family life. This hard-working group organizes Wednesday Night Suppers, Small Group Fellowship, Free Birds, the Annual Picnic, Celebration Sunday Brunch, and so much more. The current chair of the Fellowship and Hospitality Ministry is Joanne Schweikert with vice-chair, Andrew Sackman.
Growth and Outreach Ministry
The Growth and Outreach Ministry seeks to welcome all visitors to our church and inform them of the many opportunities and programs available. This ministry provides guidance in the process of becoming members of RRPC and helps new members to become assimilated into the life of the church. The current chair of the Growth and Outreach Ministry is Kristy Geiger with vice-chair, John Blauvelt.
Leadership Development Ministry
The Leadership Development Ministry is tasked with finding individuals to serve in leadership positions within the church. Regular Nominating Committee meetings are held to fill officer vacancies and also to match the right person with the many volunteer needs of the church. The current chair of the Leadership Development Ministry is Mike McGhee.
Mission and Service Ministry
The Mission and Service Ministry directs mission work throughout our region and the world. Mission work is a priority in our congregation as we are guided by Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves. The current chair of the Mission and Service Ministry is Pratt Cherry with vice-chair, Suzanne Hendrix.
Personnel Ministry
The Personnel Ministry serves as the human resources team for church staff. It undertakes tasks such as coordinating staffing strategies and hiring efforts as well as providing individual staff evaluations and direction for personnel related issues as guided by the Session and Pastor/Head of Staff. Each member of the church staff is important and valued by this ministry. The current chair of the Personnel Ministry is Andrew Sanders with vice-chair, Kendall Shaw.
Property Ministry
The Property Ministry is charged with the care and maintenance of our facilities and grounds. The current chair of the Property Ministry is Scott Dearnley with vice-chair, Scott Rick Edwards.
Stewardship and Finance Ministry
The Stewardship and Finance Ministry leads the annual stewardship campaign, develops and recommends yearly budgets to the Session, and monitors the current operating budget. This ministry is also involved in long-term planning as aligned with the vision of the church. The current chair of the Stewardship and Finance Ministry is Mark Carpenter with vice-chair, Brent Morse.
Worship and Arts Ministry
The Worship and Arts Ministry provides and guides worship opportunities in the Reformed Tradition of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Our worship experiences inspire and encourage all to deepen and strengthen their faith and to share this faith with others. The current chair of the Worship and Music Ministry is Mark Hedberg with vice-chair, Mark Crean.
Endowment Fund Trustees
Class of 2025
Kendall Shaw
A.J. Szumski
Class of 2026
Richard Byrne
Stuart Gregory
Class of 2027
Patricia A. Avery
Zach Smith
Columbarium Trustees
Scott Deanley
Mike McGhee
Shel Thomas
River Road Early Learning Center Ministry Board
The business affairs, operations, and strategic development of the Early Learning Center are governed by the River Road Early Learning Center Ministry Board.
Current Board of Directors
Dana Moore, Chair
Dusty Boyd
Howard Kies
Kristen Lynch
John Simpson
Get Involved
Sexual Misconduct Policy
It is the policy of River Road Presbyterian Church that sexual misconduct is prohibited on Church property and regarding any of its activities, wherever they may occur. You may read a copy of this policy here.